Hello... I'm a new guy --- have been riding 45 years but never owned a Harley.
I am now looking to buy one before I'm to old to ride.
Started looking at Heritage but I have a very nice VTX that I have raked and customized and it is very close to the Heritage in size so lately I've been thinking EG Ultra for those longer trips.

I need advice from you guys..... I know nothing about Harleys except --damn they are nice!

Locally I have found 2 EG ultra's that are very nice and would value some educated opinions and advise. --- Both have a ton of after market chrome etc. --- Both are the same price (12 1/2) which is a lot of money for me.

First one is 2003 with screaming eagle conversion to 95ci but that was done 20 thousand miles ago and the odometer reads 44k. ... very clean and clearly well taken care of..... probably could get it for 12k
Second is a 2006 with 14k and stage one only... very clean and stored inside but rarely ridden. Has a lot of chrome including 9 spoke wheels. Price is firm at 12,500 but seems like a very good price..... I know that I would be wise to do cam tensioners and oil pump on the 2006.

I am worried that a higher mileage bike will kill me on resale if in 5 years or so my knees give out and I can no longer ride. Is this logical ?
(buying a bike with resale value as a priority sucks but I have to be realistic.)
As a Harley owner what is more important ... mileage on the bike or how old it is ?

Are touring bikes harder to sell than a Heritage ? It seems like there have been lots of nice Ultra's and Road Kings for sale around here with nobody buying them... yet a nice Heritage seems to sell fairly quickly.

Thanks in advance for any and all advise and wisdom.
I'm really on the fence about what to do.
mike

 

for the price you mentioned 12,500 I think you should look a little more I think there are better deals out there to be found. And my opinion is just that but I would maybe say consider a 2007 or newer you get a 6 speed tranny opposed to the 5 and the 96 cubic inch motor, iv heard some 88 motors can have cam tensioners that need to be replaced (not a big deal but just something to consider) also the 09 tour bikes have a 6 gallon tank opposed to 5. trust me when I say get out in some places on highways exp Missouri or Kansas and that extra gallon can mean a lot
go to a couple of dealers or bike shows and speak to some owners

 

I agree with Called2Duty. Except I would get an 09 (or newer) because they have the features he cites, as well as the 'new/improved' frame (and wider rear tire). $12.5K should be enough to hunt one up.

To get your sense of price, don't go by what folks are asking. Watch eBay (for example) and see what bikes are actually selling for. Most of the Harleys listed on eBay don't sell. You used to be able to see 'completed' auctions…that's where I get the information. In a nutshell, almost everyone asks more than the market will bear.

As for resale if your 'wheels' give out, for a given late-model bike a significantly lower mileage will generally fetch a higher price than a higher mileage specimen. But is this difference enough to make a buying decision based around it? The price of a super low-mileage bike compared to a bike with 'normal' mileage is not going to be more than a grand or two, in the first place. And if you put the same number of miles on either bike, with the addition of more years, the difference in the potential price of the two bikes at the end of the interval will probably be insignificant due to their mileage differential, i.e., a ten year old bike with 80K is not going to bring significantly more than the same bike would with 100K. It seems to me 'low mileage' is something that doesn't carry over very well as the years go by and a bike ages, even if not ridden. At least for the most part. (I suppose a 50 year old Harley with 5K miles on it would bring a good price…but so would a 50 year old Harley with 50K on it…) In fact, some would shy away from a bike with super-low miles due to not having been ridden. Things deteriorate, just sitting there. It could cost a significant amount to bring a seldom-ridden bike up to snuff…(but that's a whole different topic).

BTW, 44K on a touring bike that has been well-maintained is nothing. (Ask for service records.) These bikes will do 100K and then some, if they're properly maintained, and not overly modified (super-high compression, etc.)

Alan

 

Definitely do this. Plenty of them out there in your price range. No need to purchase prior to 2009. And go with the Ultra over any soft tail. No comparison.

 

With the release of the Rushmore line, E/Glides have flooded the market and it has driven the prices down for awhile. It is a buyers market now on the FL's. The 2006 is a no brainer with regard to the 2 you are considering. As far as the Heritage it is traditionally easier to sell, due to the wider market of buyers that will buy it. As a former VTX, RK and E/glide owner I can tell you the Heritage does not compare to the VTX. It is a dog with regard to the power, after that the Heritage does everything better then the VTX from touring to cruising, better ride, less top heavy, holds resale value. I could go on. I currently own a 2011 Heritage. My wife and I do two 10 day trips a year and weekly day and overnight trips. My favorite bike ever.

 

Just look for a low mileage garage queen (stock) ultra and modify it to your liking. Decide what you want to spend and see whats out there. Probably be several out there when the new 15's hit the dealers showroom....

 

I would look up ebay, and bid on bikes from dealers. I just did that and got a bike that is about 2k under auction prices. There is a flood of pre 2014 bikes out there and in about 60 days they will become even cheaper as the 2015 get to the dealerships, and the new black book comes out.

Find bikes listed on Ebay multiple times, make offers on them for 2-3k less than asking. You can get a 2009 and newer with less than 15k in miles on it in stock condition and serviced by dealers in your price range. You have to be patient, and realize the one you miss next week there will be another.

I think it is better to get a bike that has not been modified a lot, the more tinkering, the more chance of someone not doing something right and dumping the bike because they can't get it to run right.

Don't be mesmerized by the bling, you can get your own. Buy your blink at used prices and they still are looking like new also from ebay, this forum and other places. People have bought new and didn't like and just want to get rid of it.

Personally I think if you are buying today thinking about what you can sell it for tomorrow, than your buying the entertainment for the wrong reason. Buy it to enjoy it as long as you can. when you can't or want something different sell it. What you get is what you get for it who cares you enjoyed it.

 

I would spend the next few weeks reading every topic I could think of on this forum. After a short while you'll get a real good feel for what kind of issues owning a Harley will entail. Pick a topic, any topic and type it into the search engine and sit back and read. From there, you'll have more and more questions about this aspect or that aspect of the bike. Keep reading and posting and before long you'll know what you need to but not before you put the time into reading....so, get to work...there's much for you to discover. Let us know how it's going once in awhile....by the way, welcome to the forum.

 

yes, definitely. 09+ FLs are lovely bikes stock, and they have tons of potential for whatever you might want to do.

As said already, 14s have driven down the prices of used bikes. In my opinion, this has occurred mostly due to the improved handling of 14s over 09-13s. The handling upgrade is due to (long overdue) addition of real rear shocks and a redesigned upper triple tree that clamps the top of the fork tubes. These mods can be DIY done to any 09-13 FL for about $2,500 (more and even better if you go with Howard's front end). So, you can buy an 09 or 10 for around $12,000 and soon easily upgrade the suspension to be better than a 14. Then you have a seriously excellent touring ride for not all that much.

 

well .... so far this was worth my time to post.... Thanks for the replies I've gotten so far.
A lot of good sound advice ... and I will take all of it and keep looking ... as most of you thought I should ...

So ..... I'll start looking for 09 garage queen as stated above.
Look forward to any other advice given as well.

thanks all !
mike